Thomas Kissane

September 15, 2007

COMM320- AL1

Critical Analysis I: Bloomberg and 9/11

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 have had haunting effects on New York City.

The city’s skyline is scarred with an omnipresent reminder of that dreadful day. In her article

entitled “Bloomberg Tries to Move the City Beyond Its Grief,” journalist Diane Cardwell

explores New York’s struggle to move beyond the horrific events that have left an indelible mark

on the city’s skyline and on the hearts of its citizens. The article’s title places Mayor Bloomberg

in the forefront of rebuilding the city and raises many questions. How exactly is Mayor

Bloomberg rebuilding the city? Why is the city so reluctant or unable to move forward after six

years of grief? By using the five steps of the critical analysis process (Description, Analysis,

Interpretation, Evaluation, and Engagement), readers can answer these questions and understand

why this article is an effective media product.

Description: The object under critical analysis is a front-page story in the New York

Times. It is from the September 12, 2007 newspaper edition. Diane Cardwell is the author of the

article entitled, “Bloomberg Tries to Move the City Beyond Its Grief.” Beneath this bold

headline are two subtexts descending in textual size. The first subtext reads, “A Sept. 11

Compromise.” The other subtext below this states, “Searching for a Balance Between Recalling

and Rebuilding.” This article is employing the Inverted-pyramid style of reporting by

summarizing the most important and central details to the article first. The article begins on page

A1, which contains five paragraphs, and stretches to page A24 with twelve paragraphs. The main

subjects of the article are Mayor Bloomberg, the victim’s relatives, and New York City. The first
paragraph of the article presents a conflict between Mayor Bloomberg and the victims’ families

over the location of the 6th year commemoration ceremony for the terrorist attacks. The author

uses this conflict as a springboard to explore a larger central theme: Mayor Bloomberg is

effectively rebuilding New York City. The majority of the article is devoted to the Mayor and he

is commonly associated with the words compromise and reconstruct. On the other hand, the

victim’s families are described as grief stricken, and emotional. The article features two

photographs. The first photograph is located on the front page of the article, just below the

crease. The photograph captures a silhouetted spectator looking upon a large exhibition of

photographs from 9/11. The spectator is positioned in the bottom right hand corner of the

photograph with his back to the viewer. The photographs on the wall are tightly compacted and

appear to be overlapping at the top. The second photograph is located on page A24 of the article.

The photograph shows Nancy Pelosi and Mayor Bloomberg adjourning from an important

meeting. The two are walking through open doors. Pelosi is smiling and Bloomberg has a stern

countenance and is glancing to his side.

Analysis: A close look at the elements of this article reinforces two obvious themes:

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is making progress towards reconstructing New York City and the

city is still grieving from the terrorist attacks. The majority of the article is dedicated to

demonstrating how Bloomberg is reconstructing New York. The article credits Bloomberg as

compromising with the victims’ families over the location of the ceremony, how the names

would be listed on the memorial, and even is shown as compromising with a pay raise for

protesting construction workers at ground zero. The mayor argues that it is time to “stop the

mourning process and start moving forward.” Moving forward is exactly how the author portrays

Mayor Bloomberg. The article acknowledges him for “fixing the many pressing problems
wrought by the terror attack” and “closing the gaping hole in the midst of Lower Manhattan.”

The article praises the mayor for increasing the city’s security, reconstructing ground zero,

improving the economy of the city, and fund-raising for the memorial. The photograph on page

A24 that accompanies the article demonstrates this exact theme. The photograph is of Nancy

Pelosi and Mayor Bloomberg adjourning from an important meeting. The subtext below the

photograph reads, “Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, discussed homeland security funds

for the city with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg yesterday.” This photograph reinforces the

article’s depiction of Mayor Bloomberg as working tirelessly for the city and progressing

forward through open doors. Furthermore, his stern complexion in the photo aligns with the

article’s descriptions of Bloomberg as a pragmatic man that “prefers to keep his emotions to

himself.” Contrary to its depiction of the mayor, the article portrays the city as stagnant in the

stages of mourning.

As the title of the article suggests, the city and relatives are grief stricken and unable to

move past the tragedy. The article, however, does not sufficiently provide the perspectives of the

citizens. Specifically, the perspectives of the working class would be extremely valuable in

determining how much progress has actually been made and on what scale. Their perspectives

would have added a major dimension to this article. The article has only one quote from a

victim’s family member. The widow states that despite all the progress made towards moving

forward, there are still times where she feels like “lying down and dying.” This quote

encompasses the article’s depiction of the relatives as scarred from their losses. This theme is

vividly captured in the photograph accompanying the front- page portion of the article. The

shadow that is draping the identity of the spectator within the photograph is the same insidious

shadow that the attacks have cast upon the entire city. Furthermore, the crowded display of the
exhibition within the photo evokes the reader with a sense of how devastating and overwhelming

the attacks have been on the city.

Interpretation: Why is it meaningful for the New York Times to emphasize that Mayor

Bloomberg is reconstructing the city? One reason could be that the anniversary of the attack was

the day before the article was published and created an uneasy atmosphere. The entire city was

reminded of the chaos and vulnerability they experienced that day. As a result, citizens and the

media will begin to question their safety and assess the progress the country has made since the

attacks. This article could be intended as a source of reassurance that everything is progressing

fine. Furthermore, it can be interpreted as a source of inspiration and encouragement for the

grieving city to continue moving forward with their lives. A second reason could be to preserve

the reputation of Mayor Bloomberg. The dispute over the location of the commemoration

ceremony makes Mayor Bloomberg appear insensitive. This article puts Bloomberg’s intentions

in perspective and preserves his image.

Evaluation: This article serves as a sufficient media source because it takes on the

watchdog role by examining the progress of our social institutions and our leaders. It protects

democracy by informing citizens, raising questions, and instigates reactions. It examines how

much progress Mayor Bloomberg has made in reconstructing New York City and demonstrates

how the city is still grieving. The article, however, is not completely unflawed. One of the major

weaknesses of the article is its ability to voice the opinions of the widows and citizens.

Additionally, the article lacks primary sources such as direct interviews and opinions from

Mayor Bloomberg and citizens. Instead the author uses previous statements and incorporates

them into the article. This gives the article a recycled tone. Additionally, the article fails to

portray the events of the ceremony the day before. Was everyone satisfied with the
commemoration ceremony? How do citizens feel about Mayor Bloomberg’s progress? It is true

that actions speak louder than words and it is evident that Mayor Bloomberg is working towards

progression in New York City. The article succeeds in demonstrating this.

Engagement: A great way to engage myself in this issue would be to write Mayor

Bloomberg a letter that questions his intentions and plans for the city. Additionally, I could

investigate other media sources to get an unbiased perspective on how much progress the mayor

has actually made. Lastly, I could investigate the opinions of New York citizens. I could call my

friends in New York City and question them about the mayor and his reconstruction process.

Also, I could write the victim’s families and inquire them about the Mayor’s work in office.

These activities would enable me to develop my own conclusion on Mayor Bloomberg and

would also help shape the cultural environment.